Wiedza i postawy rodziców dzieci z rozpoznaną wadą serca

Congenital heart diseases are the most numerous group of the circulatory system diseases in children. They belong to the group of most frequent and most often diagnosed developmental defects. Despite fast and significant development of current cardiology those congenital heart defects are still responsible for high mortality rate. Child’s disease affects the functioning of his/her entire family and it leads to many changes and difficulties, especially of a psychological character. The parents of a child with diagnosed congenital heart disease often experience strong emotions, which include anxiety related to life threatening condition, fear concerning parental competency regarding taking care of their ill child, sadness and loneliness. Abovementioned emotions may also have an impact on child's mental status. The objective of this work was to analyze knowledge level and the attitudes of parents having children with diagnosed congenital heart disease. The study was conducted in January of 2006 in University Children’s Hospital in Cracow among parents of children with congenital heart disease. It covered 49 full families and one single mother. The present study employs the questionnaire designed by the authors of this work and questionnaire designed by Maria Ziemska, for analyzing the attitudes parents towards their children. The analysis was carried out using the statistical methods such as test G and nonparametric test Kruskall-Wallis. The obtained data reveals the parents' insufficient knowledge about disease including possible complications, treatment, pharmacological complications and lifestyle of their child.